It’s surely not priority one for the Portland Timbers, whose playoff life hangs in the balance.

And perhaps the Whitecaps’ primary focus is simply on keeping the Timbers out.

But the Cascadia Cup means a heck of a lot to some supporters. It was born out of their passion for the game, and for these great Pacific Northwest rivalries, back in 2004.

A handful of supporters at Sunday’s game (1 p.m., TSN1, TSN 1040) will have even put money in the pot to pay for the trophy, which was hand crafted in Italy.

Max Fornasier, a member of the Vancouver Southsiders, is one of them.

Max Fornasier, left, holds the Cascadia Cup in 2004.

“I threw in about $45 at the time,” said Fornasier, now 47 and working for a financial planner.

“It was basically whatever we could afford. I believe the total amount was $450 or so.

“It was a way to take the supporters culture to another level where there’s silverware on the line.

“When the Whitecaps won the trophy (at Swangard Stadium) in 2004, I remember presenting it to Nick (Dasovic) and Alfredo (Valente). I don’t think a lot of the players knew what was going on. They heard the announcement on the P.A. and said, ‘OK, we’ll accept that.’

“The Cascadia Cup has come a long way since those days.”

It has been won five times by Vancouver, four by Seattle, the current holders, and three times by Portland.

It has survived a handful of league and format changes, and, rumour has it, some, er, renovations. Supporters from the winning club keep the trophy, which adds to its uniqueness.

The Cup has also survived a spat with MLS, when the league filed a trademark claim for the rights to the name “Cascadia Cup” back in 2012. There’s now a Cascadia Cup Council that owns the trademark.

“We took a stand that: ‘You’re not going to take this away from us, New York,’” said Fornasier. “You can’t take something away that fans cherish so much and market it the way you want, add a sponsorship or whatever. It means a lot, and we will look after the name and protect it.”

The Caps are a long shot for the Cup heading into Sunday’s clash. They have to win by three or more goals. Any other result and the Timbers will claim the trophy, which is handed out based on head-to-results during the MLS season.

Vancouver Whitecaps players celebrate after defeating the Seattle Sounders in 2014. The Whitecaps won the Cascadia Cup after beating the Sounders 1-0.

“I’d love to win the league — that’s the pinnacle,” said Fornasier, who attends games with his sons and was working the lines at one of their games Saturday.

“But luckily we have a bit of a silver lining in that the Cascadia Cup is up for grabs.

“Even if you have a bad year, you have a chance to do something for the fans and win this Cup. Other teams in the league don’t have that luxury. It’s a nice little thank you.”

Fornasier said he’s looking forward to some new players coming in this off-season. He’s worried, a bit, about the leadership on the team. He wants to see more passion and heart, he said.

As for Sunday, he hopes to see his team hoist the trophy he helped create. But he’ll settle for a win.

“I’m just kind of sick and tired of those guys (Portland) thinking B.C. Place is their house,” he said.

“Let’s win this game for the fans. That’s what we’re all here for. Let’s give this victory to the fans, and send our rivals home on a long bus ride.”

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